1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the configuration and control of switch circuits. More specifically, the present invention provides improved control of switch circuits to enhance switch performance metrics.
2. Background Art
Switches can be used to provide or restrict an electrical path between terminals. Switches can be implemented using transistors in a variety of applications including digital electronics, logic gate circuits, and control of high power devices such as motors. As an example, a single transistor can be used to generate a low impedance or a high impedance between the source and the drain of the transistor in response to an applied control signal. However, the control signals that are applied to the transistor can cause the switch to leak currents. For example, as the source of the transistor increases to a higher potential than the drain, a forward biased body diode, caused by the junction formed between the back gate and the drain, can allow current to flow from the source and the back gate terminal to the drain terminal, thereby degrading performance of the switch.
This current path caused by the body diode can be avoided by placing a second transistor back-to-back with the first transistor. In this arrangement, the sources of the transistors can be coupled together and the gates of the transistors can be coupled together. The back-to-back transistor arrangement may block the current path caused by the body diode in both directions. However, even with this arrangement, the applied control signal can still change various parameters of the switch in a destructive manner. Accordingly, what is needed are improved switch control mechanisms that do not degrade switch performance metrics.